Sunday, October 23, 2016

Muslim leader LOSES legal battle for £10million in damages from Donald Trump

  • Kamran Malik was seeking £10m damages from Republican Donald Trump 
  • He and Communities United Party alleged Trump had defamed Muslims 
  • East London group reacted to Trump's comments about capital and Paris 
  • Trump claimed police were scared to enter parts of the 'radicalised' cities
A Muslim political leader has lost a legal battle over Donald Trump's claim that parts of London are so radicalised that police fear for their lives.

Kamran Malik, and his east London-based Communities United Party, was seeking £10 million damages against the would-be US President for allegedly defaming Muslims living in the Green Street and Romford Road area of Forest Gate.

In a bid to justify his comments last December that Muslims should be barred from entering the US, Mr Trump said parts of London and Paris were so 'radicalised' that police officers were scared.
Mr Malik said that Mr Trump's comments had the potential to affect the trust and confidence that Muslims in his part of London had built with non-Muslim friends and business partners.

He wanted permission to proceed with his claim by serving Mr Trump out of the jurisdiction in the USA or deeming him to have been served in Scotland at his Turnberry golf course business.

Master Victoria McCloud, speaking at today's London High Court hearing, dismissed Mr Malik's case.  

She said that Mr Trump's comments were not capable of being the subject of a defamation claim 'even if what was said by him caused real upset and a sense of injustice to a section of the London community more widely.

Kamran Malik was seeking £10 million damages against the would-be US President for allegedly defaming Muslims living in East London'It is important that in dismissing this case this court is not understood to be endorsing or making any judgment on the merits of comments such as those in this case which have already been roundly condemned by among other people both the former Prime Minister and the Mayor of London.'

Mr Trump made the controversial comments speaking to American network MSNBC.
'Paris is no longer the safe city it was. 

They have sections in Paris that are radicalised, where the police refuse to go there. 

They're petrified. 

'The police refuse to go in there.'

He added: 'We have places in London and other places that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives. 

We have to be very smart and very vigilant.'

Master McCloud said there were breaches of procedural and legal requirements in how the defamation case was put and Mr Malik's claims under the European Convention on Human Rights, the Equality Act and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act also failed for legal reasons.

She added that even if the case was not struck out, she would have refused permission on the basis that the claim did not have a reasonable prospect of success.

Mr Malik, who was not in court, was ordered to pay £35,000 costs and refused permission to appeal although he can re-apply to the Court of Appeal.    

No comments: